Adjustable side stake



Dec. 28, 1965 HQLMAN ADJUSTABLE SIDE STAKE Filed June 6, 1963 RN mm m V N /L M M By M Attorney United States Patent 3,225,708 ADJUSTABLE SIDE STAKE Keith L. Holman, Payson, Utah, assignor to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Filed June 6, 1963, Ser. No. 286,079 3 Claims. (Cl. 105-380) This invention relates, as indicated, to an adjustable side stake for restraining the movement of loads over a floor surface and to one which is particularly suited for the floors of railway gondola or flat cars, as well as other load transporting vehicles.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to provide an improved load staking apparatus of simplified construction which can be easily installed in the floors of load transporting vehicles. A further object is to provide in apparatus of this character for adjustment of the position of the stake on the car floor according to the dimensions of the load restrained thereby and for its removal when not needed to clear the floor surface of all obstructions that might otherwise interfere with handling movement of loads thereover.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the manner in which the load staking apparatus of this invention is applied to the floor of a railway fiat car;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view in which parts have been broken away to illustrate the construction of the staking apparatus showing in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line IIIIII of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the stake shown in FIGURE 3.

Although the staking apparatus of this invention is applicable for restraining the movement of loads over any supporting floor surface, it is as indicated above particularly suited for the floors of load transporting vehicles such as railway fiat cars and gondolas. The drawings show the invention applied to the floor 1 of a railway flat car which is constructed from flooring members 2 in the form of wooden 4 x 4s that are supported at their ends by the sills 3 at opposite sides of the car. Generally stated, the staking apparatus comprises a hollow elongated box-like socket 4 and a stake 5 that is mounted in the socket 4 in positions corresponding to the size and position of a load L supported on the floor 1. The socket 4 may extend over the entire width of the car and thus take the place of one or more of the wooden flooring members 2. A box-shaped receptacle 6 is provided at one end of the socket 4 for storing the stake 5 when it is not needed and a floor surface that is clear of any obstructions is desired.

The socket member 4 is a box-like structure that comprises a base plate 7 spaced vertically below the surface level of the floor 1 and side plates 8 projecting upwardly from opposite edges thereof. The top of the socket 4 is formed by a pair of laterally spaced surface plates 9, the inner edges 10 of which define a stake receiving opening or slot 11 extending longitudinally of the socket member 4. The base plate 7 and the surface plates 9 have openings 12 at spaced intervals along the lengths thereof for a purpose to be described. If the loads to be carried 3,225,708 Patented Dec. 28, 1965 "ice by the floor 1 are such that a stake is not needed at the center of the car, the center portion of the socket 4 may be covered by a plate 13 extending between the upper edges of the side plates 8.

The stake 5 is fabricated in the form of a cross. It comprises a square center bar 15 that has side bars 16 projecting in opposite directions therefrom. When the lower portion 17 of the bar 15 below the side bars 16 is inserted through the socket opening 11 as shown in the drawings to a position with its lower end 18' abutting against the base plate 7, the side bars 16 move into abutting engagement with the surface plates 9. Locking pins 20 projecting downwardly from each of the side bars 16 and the lower end 18 of the center bar 15 are received in the openings 12 to anchor the stake 5 against movement out of the position in which it is inserted in the socket 4. The stake 5 may be inserted in the slot 11 in any anchored position along the lengths of the plates 7 and 9 that are provided with the pin receiving openings 12.

Removal of the stake 5 from the socket member 4 may be prevented by a locking pin 21 secured in spaced relation to the lower end 17 by a connecting pin 22 projecting outwardly therefrom. The locking pin 21 has a length greater than the width of the socket opening 11 andthus operates to prevent its being pulled vertically out of the socket 4. i

The box 6 at the end of the socket member 4 comprises a bottom plate 25, spaced side plates 26 projecting upwardly from opposite edges thereof, and an end plate 27. The side plates 26 and bottom plate 25 are joined at one end of the box 6 with the side plates 8 and bottom plate 7 of the socket 4. The plates 25 and 26 further define an upwardly open space 28 in the form of a receptacle which intersects with the socket opening or slot 11 and into which the stake 5 can be moved with a tilting movement, as indicated by the dotted lines in FIGURE 2, when it is not needed. When stored in the space 28 the stake 5 occupies a horizontal out of the way position below the surface level of the floor 1. 1

While one embodiment of my invention has been shown and described it will be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In staking apparatus for restraining loads against movement over a floor, a hollow box-like socket in said floor comprising a base plate spaced below the surface level of said floor, a pair of side plates projecting upwardly from opposite edges of said base plate, and a pair of laterally spaced plates projecting inwardly from the upper edges of said side plates and respectively forming a part of the said surface of said floor, said surface plates having inner edges defining an elongated opening therebetween, a stake insertable in said opening in selectably adjustable positions along the length thereof in which its lower end has abutting engagement against said base plate, said stake having a thickness not greater than the distance between the said inner edges of said surface plates, side bars projecting from opposite sides of said stake and overlying said surface plates for abutting engagement therewith when said stake lower end engages said base plate, anchoring pins projecting downwardly respectively from said side bars and said stake lower end,

and openings at spaced intervals along the length of each of said surface plates and said base plate in which said anchoring pins are received when said stake is inserted in said opening to a position with said side bars and stake lower end in abutting engagement respectively with said surface plates and said base plate, said anchoring pins and openings cooperating to hold said stake against movement out of the selected position in which it is inserted in said socket opening.

2. Staking apparatus as defined in claim 1 characterized by a box-like receptacle extending lengthwise of the said fioor at one end of said socket for storing said stake in a horizontal out of the way position below the surface level of said floor.

3. A staking apparatus as defined in claim 1 characterized by said stake having a locking bar secured to its lower end in a position underlying said surface plates and extending transversely with respect to the said elongated 4 opening therebetween, said locking bar having a length greater than the width of said socket opening and operating to prevent withdrawal of said stake through said socket opening.

References Cited by the Examiner ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner.

LEO QUACKENBUSH, MILTON BUCHLER,

Examiners. 

1. IN STAKING APPARATUS FOR RESTRAINING LOADS AGAINST MOVEMENT OVER A FLOOR, A HOLLOW BOX-LIKE SOCKET IN SAID FLOOR COMPRISING A BASE PLATE SPACED BELOW THE SURFACE LEVEL OF SAID FLOOR, A PAIR OF SIDE PLATES PROJECTING UPWARDLY FROM OPPOSITE EDGES OF SAID BASE PLATE, AND A PAIR OF LATERALLY SPACED PLATES PROJECTING INWARDLY FROM THE UPPER EDGES OF SAID SIDE PLATES AND RESPECTIVELY FORMING A PART OF THE SAID SURFACE OF SAID FLOOR, SAID SURFACE PLATES HAVING INNER EDGES DEFINING AN ELONGATED OPENING THEREBETWEEN, A STAKE INSERTABLE IN SAID OPENING IN SELECTABLY ADJUSTABLE POSITIONS ALONG THE LENGTH THEREOF IN WHICH ITS LOWER END HAS ABUTTING ENGAGEMENT AGAINST SAID BASE PLATE, SAID STAKE HAVING A THICKNESS NOT GREATER THAN THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE SAID INNER EDGES OF SAID SURFACE PLATES, SAID BARS PROJECTING FROM OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID 